It may not be top of the Premier League, a lofty position they reached so famously two seasons ago. That may never be possible again after the shockwaves from City’s title success reverberated through the corridors of the country’s elite clubs.

It felt like it was an incredible sea-change moment, a feat that changed the landscape of the Premier League at the time, and while everyone expected the big six to respond, especially with the new television deal kicking in, not many could have predicted how deep their embarrassment was and how it would fuel the incredible levels of spending we are seeing now.

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Liverpool have paid £75million for a centre-back in Virgil Van Dijk, Manchester United are set to pay Alexis Sanchez £500,000 per week, while already splashing out over £200,000 per week to Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku, and both are still distinctly second best to Manchester City - a club who stood on the shoulders of the original big-spenders Chelsea and raised that original bar so high only a few clubs can even see it!

Even the north London duo of Arsenal and Tottenham, who make up the rest of the Big Six, are starting to get left behind as the bubble of the Premier League’s elites’ spending continues to expand.

City have been left competing for the title of Best of the Rest, and they reached the summit after their 2-0 win over Watford, with a side that cost around £60m to put together, although it has to be noted City have spent £82m on four players who didn’t even feature in the game (Islam Slimani, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ahmed Musa and Vicente Iborra).

One of the most expensive City players who did play was Harry Maguire, and £17m is already looking to be a modest figure considering Van Dijk’s fee.

The England international produced an excellent display. He lost his opening headed dual with the physical figure of Troy Deeney but wasn’t second best again all afternoon.

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To them £17m wouldn’t have even been noticed in their vast bank balances. Chump change you could find down the back of the leather sofas in their palatial boardrooms.

You can throw Wilfred Ndidi into that bracket too, and Ben Chilwell, who looks as though he has now stepped out of Christian Fuchs’ shadow to become City’s first choice left-back.

Around these emerging young players are honest, committed and experienced professionals like Marc Albrighton, who cost City nothing, and striker Shinji Okazaki, who continues to see off all suitors for his role as Jamie Vardy’s strike partner.

City's dynamic duo

But at the heart of this victory and within the very core of Puel’s squad are two players who are absolutely key to City’s success over the past few years, a dynamic duo that City would miss desperately if they were extracted - Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

During the title victory it was either one or the other, or both, who were catalyst for City’s incredible rise.

When City needed a source of inspiration it was Vardy and Mahrez who provided it and the same applies now.

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City were dominating proceedings against a struggling but dogged Watford side but were failing to force the breakthrough, with stand-in keeper Orestis Karnezis producing smart saves to deny Vardy and then Ndidi early on, but he was powerless when Vardy drew a clumsy foul from former City loanee Molla Wague after an impressive passing move and the England striker stepped up to slot home his 11th goal of the season.

Vardy has now earned more penalties since the start of the 2014-15 season than any other player in the Premier League, 13.

Paul Gascoigne at King Power Stadium (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

Mahrez and his Gazza finish

Mahrez was having a mixed afternoon, but he always carried a threat and he grew more potent as the game wore on, eventually providing the killer blow to the Hornets in added time with a superb finish from a tight angle.

It was a goal that was reminiscent of those scored on numerous occasions in the 1990s by City’s special guest in the stands, Paul Gascoigne, who was renowned for finishing a driving run into the box with a smart finish.

It was the fifth consecutive game against Watford in which Mahrez had found the net for City.

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The future of Mahrez is still the subject of speculation and it may be inevitable that City will lose his services in the summer, but in Vardy they have a player who is in it for the long haul because he recognises one clear fact.

Unless Mahrez gets his desired move to one of the big six, where else is there better to ply his trade than where he is right now?